The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Huizenga Sales Institute (HSI) team recently competed at the 15th Annual National Collegiate Sales Competition (known globally as NCSC), held in Kennesaw, Ga., from March 1 to 4. This marks the first year the HSI team – consisting of Jeremy Mathis and Michele Retzlaff, both seniors pursuing a sales minor – competed in this competition.
The NCSC, whose mission is to enhance the practice and professionalism of the sales profession, began in 1999 and is the largest and oldest sales role-play competition in existence. The NCSC hosts the top collegiate sales students and sales faculty from the most elite university sales programs in North America, with some international schools in attendance. Fortune 500, national and regional firms sponsor the competition and recruit for full-time sales positions across the U.S.
The competition included 63 undergraduate universities, each represented by two competing undergraduate students. Students competed in a variety of sales role play competitions with industry recruiters acting as buyers and judges. The exposure to top sales programs, top students and recruiters attracts the best sales talent and career opportunities in the U.S.
Due to the high participant demand for the NCSC, only universities that finish in the top 50 ranking are guaranteed positions in the following year’s competition. As a team, Jeremy and Michele tied for 32nd place, beating out schools who have attended the competition for over five years. Michele proceeded to the quarter-final rounds and both students are being actively recruited by sponsors of the competition.
Under the guidance and mentoring of Huizenga Business School faculty members John Riggs, D.B.A. and Dena Hale, Ph.D., students taking part in the sales minor receive practical and applicable skills that prepare them for their career of choice.
“This was our first year competing in any sales arena. The NCSC was also the first exposure of our Sales Program to other non-NSU academic colleagues,” said Hale, assistant professor of marketing, who attended the NCSC as Coach. “We demonstrated the strength of our students’ talent, and both Jeremy and Michele represented themselves and NSU extremely well.”
Hale has already been contacted by a number of NCSC sponsors who want to visit the Huizenga Sales Institute as a result of the competition to recruit Huizenga Business School sales students. When asked about future competitions, Hale added: “We have secured a place at NCSC next year and it is our intention to return.”
Hale and Riggs are also looking for the next NSU team to compete in the upcoming sales competition scheduled at Florida State University in November. To learn more about the Huizenga Business School’s sales program or the Huizenga Sales Institute, contact Dena Hale, Ph.D., at dh1113@nova.edu or John Riggs, D.B.A., at jr1904@nova.edu.